At Statham we teach French as our foreign language. Our aim is to provide an ambitious language provision for all pupils which consistently builds on and progresses their language and communication development in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Research demonstrates that whilst older children learn faster, the younger children are more enthusiastic, as reported by many studies (eg: Cable et al. 2010). At Statham it is our aim to harness that enthusiasm in Reception and develop throughout the primary years, thus ensuring all that all pupils leave primary school with secure language skills in both conversational and written French and the confidence to develop this further as they transition to secondary school.
We follow the Janet Lloyd Primary Languages Network scheme from Y3 upwards, whilst EYFS/KS1 heavily relies on listening and speaking skills. By learning songs and rhymes, pupils are exposed to wide ranging vocabulary.
Songs and rhymes continue to transcend throughout the school and pupils build up an ever increasing toolkit of language, underpinned by lots of opportunity to practise skills in groups and pairs using our wide ranging Kagan techniques of collaborative learning.